Derrick



Nov. 17 1925*- A. 1 K ELTNER DERRI-cx Y Filed Jan. 19, 1924 4 4 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 17l 1925- A.L.KELTNER DERRICK 2 Sheefs-5heet 2 Filed Jan. 19, 1924 Patented Nov. 17, 1925. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. d

AMOS LEA KELTNER, F TULSA, OKLAHOMA, 'ASSIGNOR- TOWALKER S. ESTES, OF TULSA, KLAHOMA. i

nnnnrox.

Application inea January 19,1924. seran nacemos.

To all iolzomz't may concern Be 1t known that' l. Anios Lm Kamerun;

a citizen of vthe United States, and resiy dent of Tulsayin the county of Tulsa and State of klahoma, have 'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Derricks, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to aderriek of the type generally employed in drilling oil wells and the like work, and is intended to eliminate the racking from heavy'strains-which ordinarily corne upon the truss work ofthe ordinary derrick when heavy loads are applied or when one ofthe leg members yields, either through compression or becauseof failing ot the foundation thereof. I An object of the invention is to provide -a derrick in which the truss work is mounted, on individual foundations, and-the Vleg 2o members proper have no positive connection .with the corner brackets of the truss work.

Another object of the invention is to providea derrick which can be readily assembled with the use of but few fastenincr members; and in which any girt can boeasily removed for replacement in case one be- 4 comes broken or bent.

Other obiects will be apparent from the following detailed description and the api pended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the completed derriek.

Figure 2 .is a view' of one form of the corner brackets used except at top and bottom of the truss.

Figure 3 is a view of another form of corner bracket used at the bottom of the'truss.

Figure 4 is a view of one end of one of the girm..

Figure 5 is a view showing the manner of fastening together the sections of the wooden legs.. l

Figure 6 is a side view, partly in section, shtwing the manner of assembly of the dert-ic Figure 7 is a view oit the top of the der rick showing how one ot the legs can yield wiilpout distortion of the frame of the derric Figure 8 is a view of a modified form of truss work.

The base portion of the truss work is co1nosed of posts :v1/which rest on individual oundation bearings 2 and support an upper crossbar. IThe posts are connected by a lower cross bard and braces 5 and 6 connect the members mentioned. The braces 5 are connected to the ,posts 1, the braces 6 to the upper bar 3, also the braces 6 are connected to the middle of the lower bar el, to the braces 5, to the posts 1 and to .the outer ends of the upper bar- 3 where it is connected to the loweimost set of corner brackets 7. These lower 'borner brackets, as shown 85 1n Figure 3,'have -a flat portion 8 to which i the bar 3,' i's attached by `bolts passing through openings 9, an opening 10EL for the turnbuckle. rod and a socket 11 on the adjacent side to receive the ends of the girts These girts are formed at 'their ends with tapered portions 13 which drop readily.into the sockets 11 but cannot pass therethrough. Any girt can be readily removed and replaced when broken without disturb- -ing any'other portion of the structure.

All ot the intermediate corner brackets 14,

,shown in Figure have two sockets 11 for the girts just described, and openings 10 for the ends of the turnbuckle rods. These girts may be made of wood, channel iron orl T-bea1n, but in all cases have the tapered end portion. The girts are held in position by rods or pipes 15 which fit at their ends into sockets 10 in the corner brackets and by thus spacing apart the corner brackets position the girts.

Rods 16 provided. with turubuckles 17 hook at their ends into the openings l()a in the 'corner brackets as illustrated; the rods of each paircrossing each other. The upper corner brackets 18 as shown in'Figure l are of slightly different shape. These brackets are longer on the outside and the extended portion is inclined slightly out 95 ward. They are also beveled from the outside tc the inner part and have no sockets 1l at the top nor openings for attachment oit' upper turnbuckles. l truss structure of the type described can be built up in section without the use of any bolts or similar fastening means,A and when assembled can be given a high degree of firmness by properly tightening the turn buckles. y

It is not uncommon to provide with such a derrick structure corner legs, but these have generally been rigidly fastened to th' structure ot the truss 1n such manner that any yielding of the legs would result in strain on :the truss structure. llt is an ob 110 ject of the`present invention to avoid any such objectionable result. The legs of the present device are built up preferably of wooden sections 19 held together by dowel pins 20. These sections pass through openings 21 in all of the corner `brackets 7, 14 and 18 and extendv some distance above the top ofthe truss work.' These openings 21 are shown as square,but the precise form is immaterial. Three legs have sections 22 that extendbelow the barBof the truss structure and rest upon independent foundations 23. The upper ends extend above the brackets 18 and` have crown blocks 24 rest-l ing .upon short header portions 25.

It is to be noted that thereis no positive connection whatever between the 'legs and` the corner brackets or any otherA part of' the truss structure. If any excessive Weight, oryielding. of one of the foundation members 23 causes one of th'e legs to drop, as indicated by dotted lines in' Figure 7, this produces no distortion whatever of the truss structure which is ,unaffected by this movement. The derrick will therefore have a suicient amount of flexibility to meet all conditions without producing any distortion of the truss Work or bringing breaking strain thereupon. The engagement between-the members 18, 24 and 25 is suficiently` loose. to` allow the yielding n1ovement referred to. This is true even if the Y individual foundation be omitted as in the case of using Wooden reinforcing legs for the purpose of converting a steel pumping derrick into a drilling derrick.

As shownin Figure 8, the same principle may be alsoapplied to a derrick constructed of ordinary angle iron 26. In this case a special form of bracket 27 is employed at the corners, having an opening 28 to fit the wooden legs 19, and two integral right angle arms 29 bolted or similarly fastened to the sides of the angle iron 26. rlhe bracket also has an efye 30 to engage a turnbuckle rod if desired to keep legs from twisting. This construction has all the advantages of the other, since there is no positive connection between the wooden legs and the metal framework of the derrick.

It is obvious that the same principle may be applied to other forms of ,derricks, and

` that certain details may be used without others or vviith'diff'erentl forms of other elements.

I claim as my invention 1.' A derrick comprisinga frame work, re-

inforcing legs associated with the frame Work but freely movable relative thereto,

' and Separatefoundations for the framework and reinforcing legs.

2. In a derrick comprising a frame work, including supporting legs, reinforcing legs associated with the frame work but freely 'movable relative thereto, and a separate foundation for each' of said legs, whereby settling of any of the reinforcing leg foundations may occur without distorting or straining the frame work. A

3. A derrick comprising corner brackets spaced' apart lengthwise of the derrick by rods'or `pipes and having tapered openings therein, girts having taperedl ends fitting within said openings, rods provided with turnbuckles connecting the corner brackets, said brackets provided with openings, and sectional legs passing through the openings in said brackets and resting upon individual foundation members, said legs andI brackets being capable of independent movement.

4. A derrick comprising corner brackets separated by frame members of the truss work and provided with openings, sectional ings, legs matching said openings and passing through them but which may move entirely independent of they frame work, and foundation'members upon which the frame work y and legs rest independently.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.'

lAMos LEA ,KELTNER 

